Tape serving apparatus, including directive advancing and moistening means therefor



June 3, 1941. T. R. GAUTIER TAPE SERVING APPARATUS, INCLUDING DIRECTIVE ADVANCING AND MOISTENING MEANS THEREFOR Original Filed Nov. 29, 1938 W2 @HJ 68 7'0 m K w 5'? a Work. Qauijiezc Q 4 A M MVQZW Patented June-.3, i941 TAPE SERVING APPARATUS, INCLUDING DI- RECTIVE ADVANCING AND MOISTENIN G MEANS THEREFOR Trevor R. Gautier, Nashua, N. H., assignor to Nashua Gummed and Coated Paper Company, Nashua, N. 121., a corporation of Massachusetts Griginal application November 29, 1938, Serial No. 242,936. Divided and this application February 26, 1940, Serial No. 320,849

7 Claims.

This invention relates to machines and apparatus for serving or dispensing strip material, particularly gummed tape, in desired lengths, and is more especially concerned with improved means for moistening and delivering the strips character as there shown.

ruary 27, 1940.

ple one embodiment of the invention,

seen at 2, 2, in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1.

coming from the supply.

floating guide or deflector plate 53.

for the tape.

posite faces. The tape feeding means here includes a lower or inner feed wheel or roll l'5 fixed on a shaft it rotatably supported between the side frames i. This lower feed member l5, which is driven through its shaft lfi'and suitihe tape conducting,

Opposite said driven feed Pins 23 hold Said or tape lengths in condition for application in able connections such for example as fully i11uspackaging and other uses for which such matrated in my parent application, with a manual terial is adapted. One machine of the general operating lever, not necessary to show here, and class to which this invention is applicable is is engageable with the under face of the tape, shown in my prior Patent No. 2,082,733, dated its gummed face, through an appropriate recess June 1, 1937, the present invention being in varin the under guide l2. ious respects an improvement in tape conductmoistening and delivering means of the present ing, moistening and delivering mechanism of the invention are equally adapted for use with other than manually operated tape dispensers, includ- This application is a division of my copending 15 ing machines of the motor driven and semi or application, Serial No. 242,936, filed November full automatic classes. 1933, now Patent No. 2,192,132, dated Febwheel l5 and in position to engage the top face of the tape through a similar recess in the upper In the drawing illustrating by Way of examguide or floating plate i3, is a cooperating upper or outer feed wheel or roll indicated as a whole Fig. 1 is a partial longitudinal vertical secby the numeral ll. tion centrally through the machine; and This upper or outer rotary feed element ll may Fig. 2 is a plan, on a smaller scale, of the debe of a construction generally similar to that livery end of the machine, with the cover open. disclosed in my said patent, including an outer Referring to the drawing in more particular, annular tire-like member surrounding a stud the machine as a whole comprises a housing shaft i8 and having friction-reducing bearing including side frames l secured in spaced relameans interD b e it nd Said a tion as by suitable cross ties, two of which are Said stud shaft is carried on a foot or projec- A roll supply S of the tion 59 at the base of a lever 20 having a bearstrip material to be dispensed, such as gummed ing collar 2! on a cross shaft 22. paper tape, is supported in a well 5 at the rear the lever 20 in position on said shaft accurately of the housing, by means of a series of transto align the upper feed wheel i? with the lower verse rollers, two of which are seen at l, l in one.

The machine is adapted to handle var- The upper feed wheel ll is normally held yieldious different widths of tape, the roll supply S ingly in operative relation with the lower wheel being positioned transversely between laterally E5, to grip and feed the tape between them, as adjustable guide plates, 2. portion of one of which by a spring 2 5 having one end attached to the appears at 8. Keyhole slots 9 in the plates have upper end of the lever 28 and its other end reduced portions engageable in selected circumsecured to the machine framing as at 25. ferential grooves in cross rods iii, to hold the 4.0 lever 23 extends upwardly between the side plates in selected position similarly as in my frames to a point where it is readily accessible prior patent. The rod ii] seen in Fig. 1 is rofor engagement by a finger of the operator, as tatably supported between the side frames, adaptindicated at f, Fig. l, and has a finger piece ing it to serve also as a guide for the tape T or knob 26 for such engagement.

By thus engaging and depressing the lever the The tape T is led forwardly from the roll upper feed wheel unit H is retracted or lifted supply past the guide It and between an elonaway from the under wheel 55 into a position gated underguide or table l2 and an overlying such as represented in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The latter This ready separability of the feed wheels at the may be of a generally similar character as in will of the operator facilitates threading the tape my patent referred to, said two guides l2 and to and between them when a fresh roll supply is 13 together providing a throat or feed passage to be installed. Further, this manual retraction of the upper feed unit exposes the underlying The forward movement or" the tape is eliected parts and permits the floating deflector plate I3,

by rotary feed means engageable with its 010- readily to be withdrawn bodily, for inspection or cleaning of the tape guides and associated parts. Release of the finger piece 26 of the lever 29 automatically restores the feed wheels to operative feeding relation. A rearward extension 2? of the foot IQ of the lever acts as a limiting stop for the return of the wheel H, by engagement with the upper guide plate l3, avoiding injury to the surfaces of the feed wheels when no tape is present between them. Said stop 21 also confines the upper guide or deflector plate 13 against undesired vertical displacement. Claims relating more especially to the tape feeding mechanism are contained in a separate divisional application Ser. No. 320,301 of my said parent application, SerialNo. 242,936, while claims mainly involving the cutting or severing means such as herein shown and sufficiently to be described for the purposes of the present application, or involving said severing means in association with feedin features are contained in my said parent application.

The tape T is advanced by the feeding means forwardly through the channel provided between the lower and upper guides i2, E3, to and past suitable means for severing the tape into the desired lengths. The severing means herein comprises a fixed element 69 horizontally disposed crosswise the machine, in substantial continuation of the under-guide i2, and supported on the side frames as by lugs til thereon and on which said element is detachably held as by screws 62. The front portion of the guiding and cutting element '65 may serve as a cutting edge for cooperation with a movable blade or cutter, indicated as a whole by the numeral 8%, of the guillotine type, adapted to be moved across the path of the tape, herein downwardly from above, to shear the tape. The blade proper B l may be variously shaped at its cutting edge, and may be formed of one or more parts, secured as by screws 65 to a blade-carrying block 66. At one or both side portions the knife 64 has a depending finger such as seen at 68 to which may be attachedspring means Hi adjacent the corresponding side frame and secured thereto as at l I. Such spring'means may be employed where a biasing or shearing effect is desired or may be omitted, the guillotine-like cutter 65 being effective to sever the tape by movement across the tape path and substantially perpendicular to the tape. Said depending fingers such as 68 of the guillotine blade also act as vertical guides for the latter, whereby it is confined and guided for movement of the guillotine type in a given plane, herein substantially vertical and perpendicular to the path of the tape.

Said cutter element 64, including the carrier block 66, is pivotally connected, as by pins at the opposite ends of said block, to a supporting yoke 14 of general U-formation, one such pin being indicated at $2. This yoke in turn is supported by its rearwardly extending arms which are pivoted for vertical movement on the cross shaft 22 previously described in connection with the upper feed wheel El. Thus the cutter assembly including the blade or cutter 64 on the carrier block 66 and the yoke 14 has a horizontal pivotal axis provided by the cross shaft 22 but the cutter proper 6 1 has substantially a straight vertical movement in parallelism with itself by reason of the pivot pins such as 72 connecting its carrier block to the yoke. Said cutter assembly as a whole is normally held up in raised position clear of the tape path, as by means of one or more springs,

one of which is indicated at 36, being attached at one end to the cutter yoke M and being held at its other or upper end on a stud or the like on the adjacent side frame, as at 18. The cutter device may be operated by any suitable means, such as in my parent application, and not necessary to describe more fully here. Forwardly beyond the severance point the tape path continues between a bottom guide plate and an overlying deflector or guide plate 9|. The latter has lateral bosses or positioning elements 92 at its front portion, see Fig. 2, for pivoting it on a pin 93 held on the side frames in blocks 94. The pin 93 also serves to support rotatably and with capacity for vertical movement, a roller guide means or element $5 composed of one or more longitudinal units or rollers, preferably of the corrugated or circumferentially grooved form as illustrated. Said rotary guide element 95 constitutes tape presser means adapted to rest by gravity on the upper face of the tape, to cause the latter to pass with its under and gummed face in moistening relation with the underlying moistening means.

As here shown, the moistening means is of the capillary or wick type, including one or more inverted brushes or brush sections 95, 96 upstanding from a liquid reservoir 9's" removably positioned between the side frames I. Said rear and forward brush sections or portions Q3, Q6 may be constructed otherwise than with separate butt portions as illustrated in Fig. l merely by way of example. The described tape guide means including the defiector plate 9! and guiding presser means 95 operatively associated with the moistener means 96 may be similar to that more fully disclosed and claimed in my Patent No. 2,138,474, dated November 29, 1938, resulting from an application copending with my said application Serial No. 242,936 of which this present application is a division.

In the machine of my present invention auxiliary guiding and presser means is provided at the tape delivery point, in advance of the guide element 95. For this purpose a transverse pin 93 is provided at a point beyond the defiector'and presser assembly 9|-95, said pin being held on the side frames in a forward extension of the side blocks 94-. This front pin 98 positions for free rotation a further rotary presser or guide element 99, which also may be composed of one or more longitudinal units. As in the guide element 95, the bearing apertures in the roller or roller units of said auxiliary element at are of larger diameter than their positioning pin 98, allowing said element to have a vertical floating movement and to rest by gravity on the upper face of the underlying tape.

This supplemental forward guidin and presser element 99 preferably also is formed with a series of circumferential grooves, see Fig. 2, and the positioning pins 93, 98 are so disposed relatively to each other that the two rotary elements 95 and 99 intermesh, their annular ribs 95a and 99a being receivable each in the grooves of the other. The tape contacting portions of the two roller elements are thus brought into close proximity with each otherlengthwise the machine, insuring an effective guiding of the tape but with a minimum of frictional resistance thereon. It will also be noted, especially by reference to Fig. 2, that the annular ribs 95a of the rear element 95 have fiat circumferential surfaces, of appreciable width, whereas the annular members 99a of the forward roll means 99 are V-shaped in section, having a relatively thin outer edge. Thus I provide in this instance a substantially greater total contact for the rear guide roll means 95, transversely of the tape and at the zone where the gummed face of the tape first comes in contact with the moistening means, than for the forward guide roll means or elements 99. In other cases the two roll means may be reversely arranged or may be similar or substantially so, depending somewhat on the character and weight of the tape and the quantity of moisture which it is desired to apply to it. i

The pin 98 for said forward presser .element 99, substantially at the tape delivery point, is herein further utilized as a pivot support for hinging the forward cover plate I00. Said cover is adapted to be received on and between the side frames, normally to close in the operating parts at the front portion of the machine. It may extend rearwardly for the full length of the machine or be supplemented by a similar cover part overlying the rear portion of the tape well and pivoted at the back part of the machine frames or housing. As here represented, said cover plate I has fingers I ill at its lower edge pivotally received on said pin 98, allowing the cover to be swung between its closed full-line position of Fig. 1 and an open position as represented in dotted lines in said figure. The underlying parts are thus readily accessible, for adjusting the tape and for cleaning and inspection purposes, including particularly the deflector plate 9| (noting its dotted elevated position in Fig. 1) the finger lever 20 of the upper feed roll II, the removable top guide plate l3 and the other associated parts. Said cover Hill is not fully opened in said dotted position of Fig. l and may be swung forwardly to the left in said figure, substantially into a horizontal position, until held by shoulders I02 on the cover-supporting fingers I0! coming into engagement with the inner pin 93 already described and which accordingly may have this additional cover positioning function.

My invention is not limited to the particular embodiment thereof illustrated and described herein, and I set forth its scope in my following claims.

Iclaim:

1. In a machine of the class described, a frame providing support for a tape supply to be delivered in moistened lengths, guiding means defining a path for the tape, moistening means underlying the tape path adjacent the delivery point and comprising an inverted brush device having rear and forward sections, a plurality of parallel guide rollers rotatably supported one behind another substantially opposite the moistening means and havin capacity for vertical yielding movement so as to float on the upper face of the tape to be moistened, said brush device cooperating with the plurality of rollers in vertical opposition thereto.

2. In a tape dispensing machine, in combination, a frame, a moistener thereon for the gummed under face of the tape, under and upper guides providing between them a tape path to the moistener, a plurality of pins stationarily supported by the frame and extending transversely of the tape path approximately vertically opposite the moistener, and a corrugated roller positioned by each pin for vertical yielding movement so as to float against the underlying tape, the corrugations of each roller intermeshing between those of the other.

3. In a tape dispensing machine, in combination, a frame, a moistener thereon for the gummed under face of the tape, under and upper guides providing between them a tape path to the moistener, the upper guide comprising a plate pivotally supported at its front portion adjacent the moistener, and a plurality of parallel roller elements disposed one behind another, with the rear element adjacent said front portion of the pivoted plate, said elements positioned to float on the upper face of the tape passing over the moistener and each having a series of circumferential alternating ribs and grooves, the axes of said elements being so disposed that the ribs of one element mesh respectively in the grooves of another.

4. In a tape dispensing machine, in combination, a frame including spaced side members, a support for a tape supply, tape feeding means to advance lengths of the tape along a path between the side frames, a moistener for the under face of the tape, a plurality of guide rolls extending transversely of the tape path above the moistener, one roll behind another, means for rotatably supporting the rolls on the frame with capacity for vertical yielding movement so that they float on the tape crossing the moistener, and a cover plate pivoted on the frame coaxiallywith the support for one of said rolls and adapted to cover the space between the side frames above said mois tener and feeding means.

5. A tape dispensing machine according to claim 2 including in combination a top cover having a hinge connection at its forward portion, said connection being pivotally received and positioned by one of the transverse pins.

6. A tape dispensing machine according to claim 4, including abutment means on the cover engageable with the support for the other of the guide rolls, to limit and support the cover in open position.

7. In a machine of the class described, a frame providing support for a tape supply to be delivered in moistened lengths, guiding means defining a path for the tape, a capillary moistening element below the tape path adjacent the delivery point, a plurality of parallel transverse guide rollers rotatably supported one behind another substantially opposite the moistening element and having capacity for vertical yielding movement so as to float on the upper face of the tape to be moistened, and annular ribs distributed along each of a plurality of said rollers, said ribs of one roller being wider at their outer portions than those of another.

TREVOR R. GAUTIER. 

